Why Stephen A. Smith believes Knicks just saved NBA by beating Wembanyama’s Spurs

After watching All-Star Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs lost 4-1 in the NBA Finals, ESPN’s Stephen A Smith explained why he believes the New York Knicks just saved the NBA. Smith was so excited about the Knicks’ title that the Dallas Cowboys caught a stray amidst his celebrating, as the New York native watched his hometown team capture its first title in 53 years.

After the win, Smith explained why the Knicks beating Wembanyama and the Spurs is best for the NBA, per ESPN Base’s X, formerly Twitter.

“Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks saved the NBA with this championship. Stay with me,” Smith said. “If the Spurs win the championship, the entire NBA is evolving its scheme around how do you knock off the alien, the 7-foot-5 alien from France. How do you do it?

“Well, guess what? Now that a 6-1 guard, who’s not the most athletic above the rim dude — that ain’t his game, just savvy, brilliant as a basketball savant, footwork extraordinaire — that guy at 6-foot-1 led this team. And in a close-out Game 5 drops 45 on a Spurs defense that was pretty elite. That’s what they did.”

Stephen A. Smith says Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks "saved the NBA" by winning the championship over Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.

“If the Spurs win the championship, the entire NBA is evolving its scheme around how do you knock off the alien, the 7-foot-5 alien from… pic.twitter.com/BYFcbjy6wR

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) June 14, 2026

As Stephen A Smith pointed out, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will be the team to beat next season as the NBA’s defending champion in an Eastern Conference, where not many predicted them to win the title in 2026. Brunson earned Finals MVP after winning Game 5. For many, the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder were projected favorites over the Knicks, who proved their naysayers wrong as the 2026 NBA champions.

Jalen Brunson’s near-speachless response to winning NBA Finals

Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson kept his answers short during his walk-off interview after winning Game 5, and clinching his first championship.

“I got no words,” Brunson was seen telling ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “It’s everything I’ve dreamt of.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m just like… I’m in awe. I don’t know. Whenever someone counts us out, we find a way to come back and do something about it.”

Now Brunson is the Knicks’ championship savior after a 53-year drought.

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